monster_hunter_sandboxfandomcom-20200214-history
Cephadrome Ecology
In-Game Information The Alpha monster form of the Cephalos. Larger and armored with black scales, they fit the appearance of a leader perfectly. Their fins hold a paralyzing toxin. Taxononomy Order:Ichthyosauria - Suborder:Fish Feet Wyvern - Superfamily:Sand Wyvern - Family:Cephalos. Cephadrome is the leader of a pack of Cephalos. Related to Plesioth, a fellow Piscine Wyvern. Although it can't swim in water as the Plesioth does, it is able to swim in sand. Habitat Range They are only found in the desert where the sand allows them to swim in it. No other place is suitable for them to inhabit. Although they could live in the Sandy Plains, they may be outcompeted with other sand dwelling monsters such as Nibelsnarf and Delex, who fit a similar role in the ecosystem. Ecological Niche Cephadromes, together with the Cephalos, are among the most common monster in the desert; they aid in balancing the ecology. They mostly feed upon the smaller monsters and herbivores crossing the open desert although will go after larger prey if given the opportunity. However these Piscine Wyverns can easily become prey themselves by larger predators but with some help from the Cephalos or with some extreme aggression the tables can turn quite easily and can leave even powerful creatures like Rathian and Tigrex (or maybe even their relatives Plesioth) heavily injured or dead. Cephadrome will do their best to avoid Diablos and Monoblos as the highly aggressive Herbivores won't tolerate the predators anywhere near them or their hatchlings and will viciously gore and maul Cephadrome and Cephalos with their horns and tusks. But due to their size they can chase smaller predators such as Gendrome and their packs off their kills and other carcasses. Cephadrome may attack a Chramine and a Caeserber Subspecies, but the piscine wyvern would have to definitely avoid the bird wyvern's explosive mucus and the large mammal's teeth and claws. Biological Adaptations The Cephadrome, as with the Cephalos, is completely adapted to living in the sand, and as a result would find it simply impossible to live anywhere else. Its body has adapted to be incredibly streamlined and slick, allowing it to swim through the sand incredibly fast. The scales of a Cephadrome are able to contain a large amount of moisture. However, due to spending much of their lives swimming in the sand their eyesight has become extremely poor and the creatures are nearly blind. It is also known for being able to fire a small stream or simply a lump of sand. This is due to the creatures swallowing the sand as they swim through it and storing said sand in a specialized organ, then mixing it with some saliva then firing it off at high speed. This ability is used to deter larger monsters like Diablos, or just to kill prey. It has extremely sensitive hearing to pinpoint prey while under the sand. However, their excellent hearing can be used against them as they are easily scared out of the sand by a Sonic Bomb. Creature's roars can also shock them out of the sand most noticeably with Diablos and Monoblos the very creatures that hate them. Their long necks and soft underbellies have less protective scales on them, giving hunters and other monsters a weak-spot to take advantage of. However, their speed through the sand and neutral aggression make up for it. It is also mentioned that the Cephadrome has black scales. As its "swims" in sand, the sand has stuck to its skin, making its blue scales appear black, a rare color variation is a purple Cephadrome though its still covered in sand and darkened so its impossible to tell common Blue colored ones from Purple. Interestingly the life of these creatures begins in water. The females will lay their eggs in an oasis and those eggs will hatch during the dry season. After the offspring hatch they will swim in the mud and as it dries it will become much tougher for the hatchlings to swim in. When the mud begins to turn into sand the hatchlings will slowly learn to swim through the sands of the desert and it is very important that they do so. Behavior Cephadrome is very aggressive, however it will assume evasive maneuvers if it senses that the threat is too dangerous. Cephadrome swims in sand to avoid danger, then attacks unexpectedly to startle its foe. It also uses a sand "spray" to attack from a distance. A leader its role may be as a main attacker. A cephadrome is also very protective of the Cephalos in its pack and they will even attack larger predators or even an aggressive Diablos. Category:Monster Ecology